Category Archives: greenhouse

Last year we got the Horizon Herbs basil collection and we finally planted seeds in winter. We’ve been growing their holy basil all summer and still have some going, too. These pics are from February, been so busy.

This is the sweet lettuce leaf basil and it tastes a little like anise, which I don’t particularly like, but I sure like this basil.

The Thai basil is finally growing, took a long time to sprout.

This is the Genovese basil and it grows like crazy. Also tastes a little like anise and many leaves are over two inches long.

This is the Greek basil. It’s about 5 – 6 ” tall now.

There was also African basil and Mtule basil seeds that we had almost given up on, but they’re finally sprouting.

I got done with the walls about a month ago, but have been so busy with work and litigation, had very little time to work outside.

I’ll definitely wash the windows before I take the next pictures. No point to doing that now since I have to put a second mud coat over the windows and then finally the lime coat.

The little window on the west side was supposed to go from my office to the addition. I’ll have to order another window when I got more cash.

With a window on each side I’ll hopefully be able to quickly get the hot air out in summer.

This little 5 x 24 is the “test” for my east 32 x 20 greenhouse / living room addition.

And here are the plants I started in September.

I took this picture from the kitchen.

The greens germinated and then apparently went into hibernation. Since I didn’t have heat in the house it was just too cold.

They didn’t start growing until I finished the last wall and it stayed so much warmer at night. Truly amazing how the adobe holds the heat and then gives it off at night. Just like they said in the books.

It also does NOT get hot during the day — yet. Can’t wait to see what happens in summer. I hadn’t planned on having plants inside by May or so. We’ll see.

The first little tomato is growing, I’ve been cutting some of the onions and actually had a salad last week.

Some of the plants are in my homemade terra preta / bio char and seem to be doing quite well.

And you can see the grape cuttings. In the big pot is a grape that actually grew roots. Last fall I took some of the vines and buried them. This was the only one that grew roots. And in the jars are the cuttings from pruning. I was stunned when “all of a sudden” the grapes were growing leaves and I quickly pruned a few days ago.

Since I was too busy with litigation, I just stuck them in jars with some B-1. It’s a beautiful day today, time to get outside and start planting.

On the south side of the addition I want to have a grape fence at the property line. I only have 5 feet, so I suppose I’ll have a 4 ft walkway and then the grapes. Shade in summer, sun light in winter.